Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Copycat friends

103 replies

Mgb24 · 20/08/2017 06:53

Need advice. Our family have a campbervan and tent. Spend most school holidays traveling around England; France; & Spain camping; enjoying activities; al fresco dining; sight seeing and just having family fun.. we know that we're fortunate and these trip are the highlight of our year.

We spend a lot of time and effort planning targets; routes; activities etc. I learned the lingo to help maximise our trips.
Yet
A "friend" of my DH; his new wife & his stepchildren have taken to replicating our trips.

These holidays, we drove over 2000 miles in the last 4 weeks over a huge area enjoying gorgeous French villages away from tourist areas; range of activities & fun for the kids; perfect wee campsites with natural (river or mountain or beach) fun / adventures or bigger campsites with organised fun (pools; games; etc).. but a range to keep it fresh and interesting. Much fun was had by us

But our carefully planned and much enjoyed holidays was slightly soured when our trip was replicated by DH's "friend" & his new family as two weeks behind us they repeated our route; and our activities even staying in the same tiny villages; eating in the same restaurants; enjoying many of the same activities
They didn't ask for recommendations- seem to have just picked up the inspiration from our facebooks; instrgrams etc.

DH finds it creepy and flattering all in equal doses
Me - I find it frustrating that all the time and effort we put into planning is just then used by lazy "friends".

Any ideas of how to deal with it?
Any ideas on how to prevent reoccurrence?

OP posts:

DancingLedge · 20/08/2017 09:15

How do you know they do this? Because they also document everything they do on social media? Just like they imagine everyone's interested in exactly where they are, and exactly which restaurant they are eating in?
Are you sure they're actually doing these activities, and not just taking the piss out of your blow by blow description of your superior holidays?

bloodymaria · 20/08/2017 09:19

But our carefully planned and much enjoyed holidays was slightly soured

You are crackers!

Changednamejustincase · 20/08/2017 09:21

If they were only 2 weeks behind they probably had it planned already. If they have a camper van it's really a choice of the holiday you described or a trip round some of the UK. The chances are a lot of people who holidayed in a camper van this summer did something similar. I don't get why you are annoyed. Even if they decided just to replicate everything you did on your holiday because they thought it looked great what does it matter?

SouthPole · 20/08/2017 09:22

You're weird.

EssentialHummus · 20/08/2017 09:27

This would bug me too, tbh, rational or not. I'd just put slightly less specific info on FB/Instagram or the geotags you use.

metalmum15 · 20/08/2017 09:28

Any ideas on how to deal with it?

Stop telling the world and its dog exactly what you're doing and where you are at every moment of the day.

TwitterQueen1 · 20/08/2017 09:30

I'm afraid I laughed when I read this. Along with other posters, I have to say that you are being a bit of nutter about this - and very up yourself.

Other people travel too - and speak a different language - and explore the countryside and cuisine and enjoy family time together. My family was doing it nearly 50 years ago. You don't have exclusivity on this.

And if others are following in your footsteps so what? What has this to do with you?

IGotRainedOn · 20/08/2017 09:30

Sounds like a fab holiday. I can see how they would do this if they were holidaying soon after you presumably without having booked anywhere. They must have seen you social media and thought it looked good.

I don't think it matters though. Maybe you could be flattered rather than feeling it soured your holiday

I'm amazed they got into the same campsites at such short notice

Petalflowers · 20/08/2017 09:31

The moral of the story is not to post your every move on Facebook!

however, I can understand how you are a little bit upset by someone replicating your holiday, especially if you went to places off the beaten track. Had they asked for recommendations, fair enough, but too obviously do the same route is a little weird, unless it's a recognised tourist route.

I'm with your husband, creepy and flattering.

ChilliMary · 20/08/2017 09:31

How would this spoil your holiday, in any way? I don't get it.

ForeverLivingMyArse · 20/08/2017 09:32

Don't share, if you don't want to share.

Alittlepotofrosie · 20/08/2017 09:35

You sound like an absolute bore. You're ever so proud of yourself with your marvellous holiday arent you?

Maybe don't plaster every waking moment on social media, which you're clearly only doing in order to show off how amazing you are at planning a holiday.

BarbieBarbieBaa · 20/08/2017 09:39

You need to understand that anything you decide to put on social media is no longer yours. It's a hard fact if life, but a fact nonetheless. Hopefully you'll get over this and next time won't share something that you really want to keep private

witchofzog · 20/08/2017 09:41

You are being a tad precious here. You don't have a monopoly on these places you know. If it bothers you so much then, as others have said, stop putting every detail on social media. You must have been posting pretty extensively for them to be able to replicate your holiday.

shivermytimbers · 20/08/2017 09:47

I don't think this would worry me at all. I was expecting you to say that they were turning up at the same time as you to various locations (That would annoy me).
I'd be quite flattered that someone trusted my judgement enough to use my recommendations tbh.
I'd definitely stop sharing so much on social media though, if it's bothering you.

KarmaNoMore · 20/08/2017 09:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AnnMeredithPerkins · 20/08/2017 09:51

Me - I find it frustrating that all the time and effort we put into planning is just then used by lazy "friends".

But our carefully planned and much enjoyed holidays was slightly soured when our trip was replicated by DH's "friend" & his new family as two weeks behind us

hahaha - oh, you're being serious? how did they sour your holiday? did they have a tardis?

either stop posting so much on social media or just be glad you're a trend setter

(i think they're sitting at home saying that you only went there first to beat them there, and that you copied them first)

NotTheCoolMum · 20/08/2017 09:51

2014newme · 20/08/2017 09:53

How did it sour your holiday that someone else went on the same holiday at a different time

2014newme · 20/08/2017 09:53

Why do you put everything on social media

Original poster

Mgb24 · 20/08/2017 09:57

That is the thing that they've clearly gone to a lot of effort to source the info- Facebook check ins; insta photos; strava & endo hillwalking/ cycling & kayaking routes;.. etc.

It's a massive country - 650,000 km 2 and we split our time over split stays well off the beaten track. There's more than country for different visitors to have their own independent adventures.

Would have put it down to coincidence should they have landed at one or two but all of them in the same order as us.. ?

I should say that this also happened last year with the same "friend" but to a way lesser degree. But there's no way that it'll happen again!

OP posts:

Dina1234 · 20/08/2017 10:08

if it bothers you then stop broadcasting your life on social media.

RallyRoundTheFlagBoys · 20/08/2017 10:09

Life is too short, honestly. It just doesn't matter.

Bonez · 20/08/2017 10:10

Sorry I'm not sure why you care so much? I can understand if they were replicating the trip while being with you and tagging along with everything you do but they're 2 weeks behind. Let them copy it really doesn't matter. If it bothers you that much then block them from seeing future updates?

BertrandRussell · 20/08/2017 10:13

You haven't explained why it's soured your holiday?

Flip

1 2 3 4 5